By  Bonnie Moothart
 
My horse, JR, and I attended the weekend Masterson Method of Integrated Equine Performance Bodywork Clinic by Jim Masterson in Fairfield, Iowa on May 24-25, 2008. My husband and I were privileged to attend as auditors on day one of  the first week long Masterson Method Certification Clinic, as owners of a demonstration horse, our Dusty.
 
I have to admit that I was initially skeptical.  But my expectations/assumptions were so far off base that I have to giggle about it now.  (What did I expect? A long table and a sheet and a scented candle? Well, sort of.) Instead, I was introduced to a technique that should be studied by every horse owner.
 
The massage process was taught sequentially, but I learned how important it is to be flexible and adaptable to what the horse will accept or even ASK for (yes!) at any given time. I learned how to approach the horse gently, and where to touch the horse and with just how much pressure (or lack of pressure) to determine areas of discomfort and/or pain.  We were shown how to respond to the most subtle of cues, that most people would not even notice or acknowledge - a gentle blink of the eye, twitching the lips, sighing. Sometimes the more obvious subtle responses such as licking and chewing, weight shifting, and fidgeting occur in response to a touch in a sensitive area.   We practiced various massage and flexing techniques that help to soften tight muscles and joints, and learned to recognize the horse's release by yawning, shaking the head and neck, sneezing, and voluntary flexing. It became clear to me that the horse must be allowed to establish the time table, and to tell me when he is open to the processes, and also when he is finished and needs to "soak".
 
I now know that a horse cannot let go of tension, anxiety and pain on his own, and that even long after the trauma of an injury is gone and the bandages are taken off, the horse will still have tension and tightness, most typically in his poll, neck and shoulders, and/or the lumbar region.    Also, the areas pain/tension/tightness are often indicators of  larger issues either brewing or in process.  As an example, our horse Dusty is having issues currently with front foot lameness, and he has been through a thorough examination and evaluation by our veterinarian, complete with xrays.  The evaluation showed thin soles on his front feet as the pathology.  Shoes, gelpads, and bute for the inflammation have helped Dusty's outward pain and lameness, but he is still out of sorts and is more touchy than ever about his head.  Dusty attended the Masterson Clinic as a demonstration horse, and the evaluation by Jim and the certification candidate students showed that he has a tremendous amount of tension and tightness in his poll and neck and in his left lumbar region.  Regular massage of the poll and atlas and TMJ, and also along the neck under the vertebrae as well as lateral cervical flexion, is helping Dusty to feel better and relieve the tension he has been holding in his poll, thus relieving his headache and anxiety.  Massage and flexing in his lumbar region and hip/stifle are beginning to help to overcome the pain he is feeling in his pelvic/lumbar region from compensating for his front hoof pain.  His overall demeanor has already improved, and we look forward to Dusty being happier and less stressed and more balanced. 
 
As good horse stewards, we must understand that our equine partners have their own way of communicating, and that we need to learn and respond to their cues on as many levels as possible.  They are not invincible, and get aches and pains and twinges just like we do, and the difference is that they can't whine about it.  Instead some horses stoically deal with their pain, and some act out with what is perceived as poor behavior or disrespect that sadly may be punished.